100 Greatest Miles of Route 66

Ed Gochenour, owner of Chicken Shack in Arcadia, was driving along Route 66 when inspiration struck. He had just left a meeting in Sapulpa, where the first Sapulpa Christmas Chute was experiencing unprecedented success. As he headed back to Arcadia, he encountered other small towns about every 10 to 15 miles. 

“I thought, why not unite all these towns and do something that would excite visitors about traveling through Oklahoma?” Gochenour said.

So Gochenour did what good Okies do to bring people together—he offered free food! On May 4, 2023, he invited tourism-minded people from the 11 communities from Sapulpa to Edmond for a meeting at his restaurant. After guests enjoyed The Chicken Shack’s famous mouthwatering chicken, he presented his idea for collectively creating and marketing experiences in central Oklahoma, which is placed smack dab between Chicago and Los Angeles on Route 66. 

The right people gathered, and a movement was born that day. Suddenly, the Midpoint Corridor: The Greatest 100 Miles along Route 66, existed. 

First: Focus on Christmas

Attendees walked away with the clear mission to start developing Christmas experiences. The 2023 year’s goals were simple: Develop a storyline theme for each town and have as many Christmas lights in the downtown areas as possible. 

“Edmond was excited to be involved because we have 13.4 miles along the route,” said Jennifer Thornton, director of Visit Edmond. “My team decided on the Miracle on 2nd Street theme to create the atmosphere of an old-fashioned American Christmas.” 

“We ARE the greatest 100 miles, but it ultimately comes down to branding,” said Gochenour. “The State of Oklahoma does a great job with tourism, so we are giving the state more cooperation for marketing Route 66.” 

As planned, the City of Edmond ramped up its Christmas lighting and enhanced events. Luminance at Mitch Park was already going strong, along with downtown activities and Holiday Hop at Stephenson Park, but Thorton encouraged new events. She began marketing Christmas opportunities collectively, making it easier for tourists to identify Edmond’s holiday offerings at a glance. 

Next: Year-Round Focus

Following the successful partnership of the Midpoint Corridor communities, Gochenour hosted more free chicken meals and launched the next phase of events. Last summer, the Route 66 Road Rally was born, followed by the Route 66 Balloon Festival in September. 

“Our second goal was to get ‘wheels on the road,’ said Gochenour. “We didn’t have the road rally participation numbers we hoped for, but that inaugural event helped us build the infrastructure–so we’ll just keep our foot on the pedal. The Balloon Festival attracted a lot of people, but we had wind issues, so we’ll make modifications. By the 2026 Route 66 Centennial, these will be well-developed events.”

Always tenacious, Gochenour next inspired the Midpoint Corridor communities to begin clean-up efforts along the roadside easements and ditches beside Route 66. In 2024, volunteers removed 4,234 abandoned tires from along the road in Edmond, Arcadia, Luther, Wellston, and Stroud; an effort that earned a Keep Oklahoma Beautiful Best Community Partner award from Lieutenant Governor Pinnell in November 2024.

“I started a new initiative to keep cleaning the Route 66 roadside every Saturday in 2025, and everyone’s invited to help beautify our state,” Gochenour said. “My next goal is to tap into Tulsa and Oklahoma City, our big end caps, to be the 12th and 13th cities on the Midpoint Corridor.”

Some people are calling Gochenour a visionary for thinking big for the benefit of Oklahoma’s Route 66 communities. “A visionary?” Gochenour paused. “I think I’m just a creative guy who’s willing to try new things and endure the peaks and valleys. We still have a long way to go on Route 66, but I believe in the Midpoint Corridor.”

For more information and upcoming events, visit midpointcorridor.com.